Free Republic

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court has struck down a 35-foot protest-free zone outside abortion clinics in Massachusetts. The justices were unanimous Thursday that extending a buffer zone 35 feet from clinic entrances violates the First Amendment rights of protesters. ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Chief Justice John Roberts says authorities have less intrusive ways to deal with problems outside the clinics.

Editor's note: This post was co-authored by Townhall web editor Christine Rousselle. A 2007 Massachusetts law stops pro-life activists 35 feet short of abortion clinic entrances. Because of the enforced distance, they often have to shout to get their message across to the scared young women walking into Planned Parenthood to have abortions — not exactly a winning strategy. McCullen v. Coakley, the case that enforces the unfair limit on pro-lifers' free speech, was center stage at the Supreme Court today. Justices listened to oral argument this morning after deciding to hear the case in June. SCOTUSblog outlined what’s...

How far can lawmaking go in creating a buffer zone around abortion clinics to ensure women can go to the clinic before violating the First Amendment rights of those who want to talk to women about alternatives to abortion? On Jan. 15, the Supreme Court heard arguments in McCullen v. Coakley against a Massachusetts law under which a line is painted on the ground 35 feet from the door of abortion clinics. Anyone who enters that zone to speak against abortion to a woman can go to prison for committing a crime. Eleanor McCullen is an elderly woman who counsels younger women who are...

BUFFALO, NY, May 19, 2014 (LifeSiteNews.com) – An abortion facility allegedly locked a 15-year-old girl in an examining room and expelled her mother from the premises when they changed their minds about going through with an abortion, a nationally prominent pro-life activist has stated. Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood manager who began And Then There Were None as an outreach to other abortion workers, said she and a local pro-life counselor named Cheryl had been in touch with the frightened minor girl by text message. Johnson described the teen as “a 15 year old girl” who “is very swayed...